Two new species of terrestrial frogs of the Pristimantis gladiator complex (Anura, Strabomantidae) from the Ecuadorian Andes, with insights on their biogeography and skull morphology

By

Reyes-Puig, Juan
Urgilés-Merchán, Miguel
Franco-Mena, Daniela
Guayasamin, Juan M.
Batallas, Diego
Reyes-Puig, Carolina

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1180

Pages

257--293

Subjects

cryptic species , Ecuadorian Andean slopes , Osteology , Pristimantis taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1180.107333

 

Abstract

The explosive diversity of rainfrogs (Pristimantis spp) reaches its highest levels in the mountains of the Tropical Andes, with remarkable cryptic species mainly in unexplored areas of Ecuador. Based on phylogenetics, morphometric traits, skull osteology and bioacoustics, we describe two new species of Pristimantis, previously confused with Pristimantis gladiator, that belong to the subgenus Trachyphrynus traditionally known as the Pristimantis myersi species group. The two new taxa are closely related, but have allopatric distributions. We discuss the importance of the Quijos and Pastaza River valleys in the diversification along Amazonian slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes.